Valved well packer



Jan.` 1 8, 1944. "w, J. BRIGHTWELL 2,339,319'

VALVED WELL PACKER Filed March 6. 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 -JJ- L .l 7

l Ai u Jan. 18, 1944.. w. ,1. BRIGHTWELL VALVED WELL PACKER Filed Marche, 1941 3 sheets-sheet 3 Y Patented Jan. 18, 1944 UNITED sTArEsPATENToF-Fics 2,339,319 vALvED WELL PACKER Walter J. Brightwell, Henderson,Tex. Application March s, 1941, serial No. sains 1 claim. (ci. 10a-:232)

This invention relates to the class of Wells and well drilling andpertains particularly to improvements in casing packers and valves forfacilitating the elevation of fluid from a well.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a packer andvalve structure or fluid elevator for use in wells for the purpose ofimproving the flow and utilizing the natural gas to bring about thisresult, which is of novel and improved construction whereby the settingof the packer may be easily accomplished and the disassembling of thesame may be readily effected for the purpose of replacing or repairingparts thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination casingpacker and valve structure which, when properly placed in a well casing,will operate to lower the cost of producing or lifting uids through theutilization of the natural gases flowing in the Well whereby a greaterproduction may be obtained Without the employment of pumping equipmentor other such means.

Another and more specic object is to provide a combination casing packerand valve unit in which the rubber packer is secured in the unit in anovel manner so that it may be readily expanded and is maintained at alltimes against rupture or collapse.

The invention will be best understood fromva consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it being understood, however, that the invention is not to beconsidered as limited by the specific illustration or description butthat such illustration and description constitutes a preferredembodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the device embodying the presentinvention, the same being shown in inoperative position in a wellcasing.

Fig. 2 is a view partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal sectionof the device showing the packing rubber expanded.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the upper portion of thedevice.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the lower portion of thedevice, the line of division between Figs. 3 and 4 being indicated atA-B.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through a modied construction of thelower valve body. l

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of a socket wrench designed tofacilitate the assembling of the device.

Fig. 7 is a view in plan of the lower valve body. Referring now moreparticularly to the drawings, the numeral I generally designates a wellcasing in which the combination packer and valve unit embodying thepresent invention is shown. This device consists broadly of two coupledvunits disposed one above the other and indicated generally by thenumerals 2 and 3.

The lower unit here indicated by the numeral 2 comprises an upper body 4through which is formed longitudinally a bore 5; The -upper end of thisbody 4 is reduced as shown, to 'form the neck 5 which is interiorlyscrew-threaded fat 'I.-V

The lower end of the body is also reduced through a portion of itslength forming a nipple 8, the exterior surface of which is providedwith encircling channels or recesses 9. At the upper end of the nipple8, the body 4 provides the outwardly extending flat shoulder I0.Encircling the shoulder is a flange II and above this 'flange the body 4is screw-threaded as rindicated at I2.

In spaced relation-With the upper body 4 is a circular box I3 which atits top kerid has the at shoulder portion I4 which is integral with thenipple I5, the overall diameter of which is materially less than that ofthe box as shown. This nipple is of the same diameter as the nipple 8and is axially alined therewith. Around the outer side of the nipple I5are formed lock channels or grooves I6 for the purpose hereinafterstated.

The lower end of the box I3 is interiorly threaded, as indicated at I'I,and Ahas threadably secured therein the lower valve body I8 which hasthe downwardly facing tapered shoulder I9 which merges into the lowerend neck portion v2li.

Through the center of the valve body I8, a bore or passage 2| is formedwhich alines with the nipples 8 and I5.

The box I3 is exterior-1y screw-threaded at its upper or shoulder end,as indicated at 22, for the purpose hereinafter stated. l

The valve body I8 has formed thereinr from the upper end thereof thethreaded bores or sockets 23, each of which at its lower endcommunicates with the reduced passage 24 which opensv through theshoulder I9. These bore's'andpass'ages 23 and -24 are parallel )with thecenter bore 2I through the valve body.V A Threaded into each borep23 andseated at .the bottom thereof is the valve seat block 25 which has acentral passage 26 therethrough and which is formed upon its upper .end`to provide the tapered valve seat 21. These blocks are provided withnotches 28 for the reception of a suitable wrench `for threading .theblock into position in the valve bore. The upper end of .each bore hasthreaded thereinto la guide 29 whichvis provided with a central passage3U and in its outer surface has longitudinally extending gas escapechannels 3I. Between the guide 29 and the block 25 is located a taperedor cone valve 32 which has a stem 33 which is slidably engaged in thebore 30 of the overlying guide. Interposed between the guide 29 and thevalve 32 is an expansion spring 34 which constantly maintains the valveon its seat. Any number of these Valves may be mounted in the valve bodyI8 and it will be readily seen thatitwis theinunction ,toy open upwardlyto permitgasit passfrom the lower part of the well casing into the slidebox I3.

The numeral 35 generally designates the rubber packer which is in theform of a cylinder which at its end is counterbored or enlarged, asAindicated at 36, to receive the nipples 8 and I5. The inner surface ofthis counterbor'ed part of each end of the packer is provided .withsecuring ribs 31 which engage in the locking grooves or channels of theadjacent nipples to hold the packer in connection therewith.

The locking connection between the ends of the rubber packerand theencircled nipples is made more positive by encircling each end of thepacker with binding wires or rings 38.

Encircling the upper body 4 and having threaded engagement with thethreads I2 thereof is a restraining collar 39'which encircles the upperend of the rubber packer and assists the tie wires orrings 38 in holdingthe adjacent end of the packeragainst rupture. The lower end of thepacker is likewise enclosed in a collar 40 which has threaded connectionwith the slide box I3 by means ofthe screw threads 22. The shouldersl II upon the upper body 4 limit the relative movement between the collar39 and the body to which it is attached. The innerl wall surface of therubber packer is provided with annular channels 4| which facilitate theexpansion or outward breaking of the packer when longitudinal pressureis applied to the ends thereof, so that the packer may be brought intocontactwith the inner surface of the casing I, as shown by the dottedlines indicated by the numeral 35 to close the casing above the valvebody I8.

The nipple 8 of the body 4 is interiorly screwthreaded as indicated at42, and there extends from the slide box YI3 through the nipple I5 andthrough the rubber packer 35, the liner tube 43,

the upper end of which is suitably screw-threaded for engagement withthe threads 42 whereby the upper end of this liner is securely coupledwith the body 4. .The lower end of the liner is also exteriorly threadedas indicated at 44, and this threaded portion extends beyond theshoulder I4, on which the lower end of the packer 35 engages, and intothe slide Abox and receives the nut 45 which bears againsttheunder sideof the shoulder I4, as shown. This nut is provided in its periphery withgrooves 46 to facilitate its engagement by a socket -wrench of thecharacter shown inFig. 6-to facilitate turning the nut for the purposeof kdrawing the slide box and body 4 together to firmly lock the packerbetween the shoulders Ill and I4.' This socket wrench is indi.- catedgenerally by the numeral 41 and as shown, comprises a cylindrical bodywhich has a diameter sumcient toreceive in one end the nut 45 and whichhas upon its inner surface at the said end the lugs 48 for engagement inthe notches 46 of the nut. By this means the nut is readily reachedthroughnthe slide boxv to be turned by .a suitable implement applied tothe socket 41.

s The nut 45.1is providedwith the axially directed flange45,.theoutercorner of which is beveled off, as indicated at In opposedrelation with this beveled flange 45 the inner end of the valve body I8is provided with the circular inwardly directed sloping or taperingshoulder I8 which forms a seat for the beveled edge 45 of the flange45'. Thus when the device is installed in a well casing and the packingrubber is expanded in the usual or customary manner, the nut 45 will bemoved toward the valve body I8 and the flange 45 will come intofirmcontact with the shoulder I8' to form a fluid-type -joint betweenthe parts I8 and 45 in the slide box I3. This will prevent the escape ofgases which may enter the slide box by way of the passages 24, betweenthe packing rubber and the liner tube 43.

As previously stated, the neck 6 of the body 4 which is connected withthe rubber packer is interiorly screw-threaded and by this means thebody 4 has coupled therewith through the medium of a coupling nipple 49,the upper unit 3. This upper unit comprises a valve body 50 and a box5I. The valve body 50 is of substantially the same design as the body I8in that it is provided with a downwardly tapered shoulder 52 whichmerges with a lower neck portion 53 and surrounding the central passage54 which is formed axially therethrough are a number of threaded valvebores 55 corresponding to the bores 23. The neck 53 is joined to theneck 6 by the coupling nipple 49.

Each of the bores 55 has leading from its lower end the passage 53 whichopens through the shoulder 52. In each bore 55 is tted a valve seatforming block 51 having a central passage 58 communicating with thepassage 55, and on a seat 59 which is formed upon the top of the blockpositions a conical valve. The upper end of each bore 55 has fittedtherein a guide 6I provided with a central passage 62 and longitudinalouter wall channels 63 and the stem 64 of the valve 60 has slidingengagement in the bore 62 of the overlying guide. An expansion spring 65interposed between the guide and the block 51 engages the valve 50 andmaintains the same on its seat.

Around the outer side of the top of the upper valve body 5U, screwthreads 66 are formed for engagement with the wall of the box 5l intowhich the top part of the body 50 is introduced. The box 5I has areduced neck 61 through which a bore 68 is formed which leads into thebox 5I.

The present packer and valve structure s designed to be inserted in linewith the well tubing, a portion of which is shown coupled with the neck61 and indicated by the numeral 69, so that Y the device may be disposedat any desired elevation within the well casing. The packer and valvedevice may be set at any desired depth by means of the well known wallhooks or slips, not shown, or it may be set o-n the bottom of the wellby means of a mud anchor, not shown. Since the means referred to forsetting the packer and valve device at any desired depth forms no partof the present invention and since such means are well known to thoseversed in the art, lit is not believed necessary to illustrate owingnatural gases will pass through the lower valves in the body I8 into theslide box I3 and will then iiow into the central conduit of the devicethrough which the fluid passes from the lower part of the well and willfunction to assist in the upow of such fluid. If it is desired that suchuid flow be further assisted by compressed gases introduced from the topof the well, such gases will ow through the valve bores in the lowervalve body 50 and enter the fluid conducting conduit or line by way ofthe box I.

In Fig. 5 there is illustrated a modified construction of the valvebodies I8 and 50. In this this block is provided with a tapered valveseat 21. Threaded into the upper end of each bore is a guide 29' throughthe center of which is formed a passage 30. In this construction theguide 29 is not provided with the side channels such as the channels 3|of the guides 29, but the escape of gases flowing upwardly through thepassages 24 past the valves is by way of the lateral ports 'I0 whichlead from the bores 23 into the main bore 2I of the valve body I8.

Upon the seat 2'I' is disposed a tapered valve 32 which has a stem 33which extends upwardly into the bore 30 of the guide 29' and this valveis maintained seated under normal conditions by an expansion spring 34.

With the construction as described, it will be seen that if it isdesired to make use only of the natural well gas, the upper unit 3v maybe removed and the pipe line connected directly with the body 4, but ifintroduced fluid pressure is to be employed in conjunction with thenatural well pressure, then, of course, the upper unit may be readilyconnected in the line with the lower unit.

What is claimed is:

In a fluid elevator and packer for a well; a pair of tubular bodiesadapted to have relative axial.

movement for effecting compression and lateral expansion of aninterposed packer, one of said bodies including an enlarged portion ofcircular form and interiorly threaded, a single body having an axialpassage and exteriorly threaded for connection with the threads of saidenlarged portion, a tube secured at one end in one of said tubularbodies and slidably extended at its other end into the other tubularbody and into said enlarged portion, means on the said other end of thetube and within said enlarged portion limiting outward movement of thetube and permitting inward movement thereof, a packer body between thetubular bodies yieldingly maintaining the same separated, and a fluidpassageway extending longitudinally through the single body and openingat one end into said enlarged portion and opening at its other endthrough the outside of the single body.

WALTER J. BRIGHTWELL.

